New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Mastic

Suffolk County Honors former Slaveholder William Floyd

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Detail of portrait of William Floyd by Robert Ealre in front of his estate in Old Mastic, New York on Long Island (Independence Hall)Suffolk County, New York, declared December 17th William Floyd Day. According to Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, William Floyd was the only Long Islander to sign the Declaration of Independence and his birthday should be commemorated every year.

He was also the largest slaveholder in Brookhaven. Floyd’s estate was at Old Mystic near present day Mystic Beach is operated by the National Park Service. There is also a contested seven-foot-tall statue of William Floyd at the intersection of William Floyd Parkway and Montauk Highway in nearby Shirley, NY. [Read more…] about Suffolk County Honors former Slaveholder William Floyd

Maritime Encounters Around Long Island During the American Revolution

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British fleet arrives in New York Harbor July 1776New York saw its fair share of military action during the American Revolution. This spring, Dr. Daria Merwin, an underwater archaeologist by training and Co-Director of the Cultural Resource Survey Program at the New York State Museum spoke at the Museum about maritime military encounters that pitted Revolutionaries against full might of the British Navy.

What follows is extracted from her talk, which you can find here in its entirety. [Read more…] about Maritime Encounters Around Long Island During the American Revolution

Long Island Revolutionary History: A Suffolk County Tour

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Detail of 1777 map of Long Island and Connecticut by Bernard Romans (courtesy Library of Congress)As we celebrated another birthday for America this July 4th I was reminded of the rich history and vital role that New York played in the founding of this nation. This is no less true within the sandy shores and glacial uplands of Long Island.

Drive south on William Floyd Parkway today, through the Suffolk County communities of Yaphank, Mastic, Shirley, and Mastic Beach, and it might be hard to imagine that this area was once the site of a great struggle between a world power and the early American settlers who came to yearn for independence. [Read more…] about Long Island Revolutionary History: A Suffolk County Tour

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